“The Acolyte delivers an intense and action-packed episode, its best one yet and the best episode of Star Wars television. It’s non-stop lightsaber fights with amazing choreography. Undoubtedly, it keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time, an absolute emotional rollercoaster!”
After last week’s episode ended on such a big cliffhanger, we have all been eagerly waiting for today’s episode of The Acolyte. And it’s finally here!
THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS BEWARE
A NON-STOP ACTION-PACKED EPISODE
Last week’s episode ended with the Dark Side user force pushing the Jedi, leaving us all waiting for what was going to happen next. And this episode surely doesn’t disappoint. It’s the most intense episode of the series. Indeed, it keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time, not knowing what is going to happen.
Right from the opening scene, it sets the mood – no one is safe, and it’s all about lightsaber fights. The Dark Side user does a double impaling, giving us a Jedi Shish Kebab; he slaughters all the extras (yes, even the Kel Dor Ithia Paan; may they all rest in peace). It’s a non-stop, action-packed episode with outstanding lightsaber choreography! Like I always say a runtime doesn’t define the quality of an episode, it is its content. So much is packed in just this one episode. This is 30 minutes of pure awesomeness.
LIGHTSABER DUELS GALORE!
And everyone gets their moment to shine with their fighting skills. Jeck fights with two lightsabers, and Yord gets to use his lightsaber, too, but his most significant moment is a hand-to-hand fight against the Dark Side user. Sol gets plenty of action and will surely be remembered as one of the best Jedi duelists. He fights honorably. This episode even shows the master and the padawan fighting against their enemy. Though the outcome is the contrary of The Phantom Menace, it’s the padawan (Jecki) who dies painfully—followed by Yord, who has what I would call the most graphic death scene in Star Wars. It’s unexpected to see this neck snap like this. The death toll is high in this episode. I was shouting in surprise at my screen quite a few times during this episode!
After Jecki’s death, we see Sol tapping into his darker side, like Obi-Wan when fighting Maul after seeing his master being impaled. The difference is that Osha acts as Sol’s anchor, reminding him not to kill. The two have a special bond. Seeing how this will play out in the remaining episodes is intriguing. I’ve said it before: Lee Jung-jae shines as Sol. I love the versatility in his performance, his facial expressions can change within seconds. He can tap into so many emotions.
It’s sad to see Jecki and Yord gone. We all loved tweeting about Jecki Jam and Yord Horde. I love these characters. However, it subverts the audience’s expectations, and that’s good. You can’t predict for sure what is going to happen. It feels great to have surprises, even if we are going through an emotional rollercoaster. There is this feeling of uncertainty that’s bringing a high dose of adrenaline. It’s what you want to see from a good thriller mystery.
DARKNESS RISES
The reveal we were all waiting for is finally in episode 5. As I had theorized from day one, Qimir is indeed the Dark Side user, and he does consider himself a Sith, even though he doesn’t have a Darth name. It became so apparent by episode 4 that some people thought it would be another character. But it makes perfect sense. He was right here, hiding in plain sight. Plus, many things he said to Mae in previous episodes felt like the master talking.
Manny Jacinto is having so much fun playing this Sith. He goes hard for the sadistic side of his character. You can tell Qimir/the Sith enjoys killing and has no trouble doing it. After having the best villain introduction scene in episode 4, which is worthy of a great horror film, Qimir has some more impressive scenes that feel directly taken out of a horror film. I love that they play with that vibe for the character. He gives you chills.
The mask has a lot to do with it. But even without the mask, Manny Jacinto delivers a villain performance that scares you. It’s compelling! Manny’s sexiness, allied with his scary performance, makes a great combo. This Sith is already a memorable Star Wars villain. The use of Cortosis adds an even cooler factor to this character. It surely makes the fights even more exciting, as he can disrupt lightsabers!
WHAT’S NEXT?
Despite calling himself a Sith, the question remains if Qimir really is a Sith Lord. There are parts of me that doubt he is the mastermind behind it all. What if Qimir is a Sith apprentice seeking an acolyte to overthrow his master? It’s a possibility! We will have to wait and see what happens next. Like the wait for this episode, episode 6 will feel so long. This episode ends in a way that’s going into uncharted territory; anything can happen! I want to know what happens next. The Acolyte truly feels like a television event, the way LOST was at the time. It’s not afraid to end with cliffhangers and surprises its audience in a big way. I missed that kind of television series.
With Mae and Osha being twins, a switch was bound to happen. It will be exciting to see how things go for both characters. Will Osha listen to what Qimir has to say? Will Mae try to kill Sol? There are so many questions. With The Acolyte, it’s a joy to theorize every week.
VERDICT
The Acolyte delivers an intense and action-packed episode, its best yet and the best episode of Star Wars television. It features nonstop lightsaber fights with fantastic choreography. Undoubtedly, it keeps you on the edge of your seat—an absolute emotional rollercoaster!
The Acolyte is now streaming on Disney Plus. Episodes drop weekly on Tuesday night in the United States and Wednesday morning in Europe and Asia.
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Collectables and Anime Editor for Future Of The Force.
Star Wars expert and Japan connoisseur.
